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In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came up and over the pass from the San Fernando Valley and camped near the river on August 8–9. They found a large native village there and witnessed a wedding celebration. Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary travelling with the expedition, named the river Santa Clara and noted in his diary that the place would be a good location for a mission. On the return trip, however, the party found a less strenuous trail through Conejo Valley. Later travelers also preferred that route, and Mission San Fernando Rey de España was established down in the valley.[3]

Valencia also has a system of paved pathways over or under the streets and boulevards. The pathways are called paseos. They connect the entire community, making it possible to travel throughout nearly all of Valencia on foot or by bicycle without crossing a street at grade level. The paseo network is connected to the Santa Clara River Trail which runs east along the Santa Clara River to Canyon Country. Landowners in the Valencia area pay special taxes to maintain landscaping and the paseo system.[citation needed]

As of 2010, the estimated population of the 91354 ZIP code was 28,722 and the estimated median household income was $111,098; the estimated population of the 91355 ZIP code was 32,605 and the estimated median household income was $89,596. ZIP code 91385 is a Post Office box ZIP and has no population or median income. [4]